The Brit SMLEs bolt lugs are in the rear of receiver instead of the front (just behind the chamber) like all classic Mausers (03s, Rem700s, Rug77s, Win70s, and most others). It
should make a looser and less accurate lockup (and rifle) (with less strength), but it worked fine and
was accurate and made it easier to throw the bolt. And the Enfield cocks on closing the bolt rather than on opening (like Mauser), so there is less drag throwing the bolt from that as well. And the rear-mounted lugs put the bolt closer to the shooter's hand (over the trigger) making it quicker to operate than traditional Mauser design. And it came with a 10 rd magazine (reloaded with mags
or topped up with strippers), rather than a 5-shot internal mag with
only stripper clips.
A world record for aimed bolt-action fire was set in 1914 by a musketry instructor in the British Army—Sergeant Instructor Snoxall—who placed 38 rounds into a 12-inch-wide target at 300 yards in one minute. It may still stand.
They were accurate enough to make into sniper rifles.
Some rifleman once wrote that of the WWII bolt guns, the German's '98 was the best hunting rifle, the American's '03 was the best target rifle, and the Brit's Lee Enfield was the best battle rifle.
(The Arisaka's and Mosin–Nagant's were not mentioned.)
